Chapter 37

The young lady smiled at this point and put down the crescent-shaped pillow in her hands. She continued, "I seem to have become quite the chatterbox today. It's getting late, my lord should rest." She got up to blow out the lamp.

But Gu Changjin said, "Madam, do you know what happened to that troupe leader later?"

Rong Shu paused in her action and, after a long while, frowned as she replied, "She died. The old nanny said that the troupe leader's theater caught fire, and both the troupe leader and the other performers all perished in the blaze."

Perished in a fire.

Gu Changjin's eyes flickered, and he suddenly pressed his lips tightly together.

His nominal father and siblings had also died in a mountain fire in his previous life.

Rong Shu hadn't intended to mention how the troupe leader died, but just like in his previous life, Gu Changjin asked the same question.

She had no choice but to answer again.

In the previous life, when Xu Li'er's case was settled, Yang Rong was sentenced to death with reprieve. Xu Li'er and Jin Shi were completely cleared of their wrongdoings.

Unfortunately, Jin Shi was severely injured, and on the day the verdict was announced, she passed away.

After that, Li'er Xu also...

Ever since Emperor Jia You ordered the Ministry of Justice to re-examine the case, almost everyone in the capital knew about Li'er Xu's trial. After all, it was His Majesty himself who urged for it, and the entire population of Obeying Heaven Mansion was watching.

On the day Jin Shi died, some discontented citizens threw stones at Yang Rong as he was escorted to the prison of the Supreme Court. They were harshly beaten by the agents of the Eastern Depot.

Rong Shu had always been well-behaved in front of Gu Changjin, but upon hearing about the brutality of the Eastern Depot agents, she couldn't help but lash out at Yang Xu and his subordinates in front of him, eventually mentioning the old incident she had heard from the old nanny.

The old nanny was too old to recall the real name of the foster son.

Rong Shu had merely mentioned it in passing, not expecting Gu Changjin to immediately retreat to his study that same evening and then visit the Ministry of Justice early the next morning, returning only late at night.

She vaguely sensed that he must have gone to investigate that foster son.

Now, Rong Shu knew the identity of that foster son, but she couldn't reveal it. All she could do was wait for Gu Changjin to uncover the truth on his own.

She understood Gu Changjin. Although they appeared to be a married couple, he didn't truly trust her.

Even if she told him the person's name, he would still verify it himself. It was better to follow the same approach as in her previous life, mentioning it vaguely, as he was a meticulous man who would soon notice something amiss and send someone to investigate.

Rong Shu wasn't wrong; Gu Changjin indeed intended to send Chang Ji to investigate the matter.

Many sins and secrets were buried in flames.

The fire that broke out in the theater was anything but ordinary. A theatrical troupe typically consisted of at least dozens of people; no matter how massive the blaze, it shouldn't have left not a single survivor.

He had a hunch, but he could only confirm it once the truth behind that devastating fire was uncovered.

The words to summon Chang Ji were on the tip of his tongue, but catching sight of the young maiden standing in the lamp light with her black hair loose, he swallowed them back.

He decided to address it tomorrow.

Seeing that he remained silent, Rong Shu pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Is there anything else you wish to ask, my lord? If not, shall I extinguish the lamp?"

Gu Changjin agreed.

Rong Shu bent down, and with a whoosh, the room was plunged into darkness.

The window on the imperial concubine's couch had long been fitted with bamboo blinds. Embracing her crescent moon pillow, Rong Shu fell into a deep slumber within the span of an incense stick's burning time.

Perhaps because she had mentioned Concubine Shen's old nurse to Gu Changjin, Rong Shu found herself dreaming about her.

Born in Yangzhou, when her maternal grandfather was on his deathbed, Shen's mother was about to give birth. She hurried to the Shen family's residence, only just managing to catch a final glimpse of her beloved grandfather.

Lady Shen was overcome with grief, barely eating or sleeping for several days and nights, as she devoted herself to the funeral arrangements for her maternal grandfather.

Rong Shu was born amidst such circumstances. Though she arrived full-term, the maternal bond was so strong that her birth was accompanied by a severe illness. Of course, there were also Taoist priests who attributed it to her being born on the Mid-Autumn Festival, claiming her eight characters were weak, her life force Yin and susceptible to malevolent spirits, thus explaining the immediate attachment of a vengeful ghost upon her birth.

It was precisely due to these eight characters that Rong Shu found herself quite disfavoured by the venerable Dowager Lady Rong within the Marquisate. Whenever the old lady experienced the slightest headache or malaise, she would attribute it to Rong Shu's influence.

When Rong Shu was four years old, Lady Elder had a terrible fall in Ho'an Hall, fracturing her leg. Immediately, they invited a Taoist priest to the manor to perform an exorcism. The priest, with utmost conviction, declared that malevolent spirits resided in Qingheng Courtyard. He insisted on performing the ritual there for seven consecutive days to ensure peace and harmony within the household.

It was as if they were on the verge of directly implicating Rong Shu as the source of that malevolent aura.

Madam Shen was furious and immediately sent someone to chase the Taoist away. Lady Rong, of course, flew into a tremendous rage and insisted on sending Madam Shen to the manor.

How could Shen bear to part with her? Without a second thought, she hurriedly took Rong Shu back to her parents' home.

Yet she is, after all, the Dowager Lady of the Cheng'an Marquis Estate—how could she possibly remain indefinitely in Yangzhou? After several visits from the Estate's retainers, my uncle urged Mother to return, leaving her behind in Yangzhou.

"Considering Zhaozhao is not finding joy in the marquis's residence, it would be better for her to stay with me. When the time is right for her to consider marriage, we can then return to the capital."

From that day on, Rong Shu remained in the Shen family until she turned thirteen, when she finally returned to the capital.

Before Madam Shen departed, she personally crafted a crescent pillow for Rong Shu, identical in height to her own.

That moon-shaped cushion, plump and intricately crafted, was soft and fragrant when held close, reminiscent of Mother's embrace.

With tears shimmering in her eyes, Madam Shen smiled and said to her, "If our Zhaozhao misses Mama, just hug this Moon Pillow. Mama will come to Yangzhou to see you every year. When you grow up, Mama will come and take you back home."

Little Rong Shu nodded obediently.

She didn't dare to cry either. Her uncle had told her that if she cried, her mother would be heartbroken. If her mother was sad and refused to leave, neither the Shen family nor her mother would have a good life.

Rong Shu held back her tears, but when Shen's figure vanished behind the Weeping Flower Door, she could no longer contain herself, and her tears dropped down, "pat, pat."

She lifted her little short legs to chase after Shen.

For several days, Yangzhou was blanketed in a heavy snowfall, leaving a thick layer of powdery snow on the ground that creaked with each step, "crunch, crunch."

With a crescent moon-shaped pillow in her arms and dressed like a cotton ball, Rong Shu couldn't run swiftly. After just a few steps, she stumbled, unaware that one of her shoes had sunk into the snow.